Comics where you don't expect them [Spoilers, old ones]

I still can't get used to the idea of mainstream media taking an interest in comic books. Previews being published at Entertainment Weekly? That's just...odd, isn't it? I know that comics are entertainment. You know (presumably, if you're reading this blog) that comics are entertainment. The average person? Might have read them as a child, gave them up by junior high, and thinks that they're just for kids. (No doubt only because they haven't priced 'em lately, but still.)

When the death of Captain America hit the "real" news, that wasn't such a surprise to me, although the sheer volume of coverage was. After all, Cap had been around since the 40s, back when comics were a far more popular form of entertainment. Whole generations grew up knowing Cap in some incarnation--the subject was of potential interest to anyone from WWII vets onward. Not to mention the wide-spread use of his image in various marketing ploys--even people who have no idea who Cap is or what he's about are familiar with him in that sense. The image is iconic even if the particulars of the character may not be (not saying they aren't, just saying that more people know what a Spider-Sense is than can identify the Super-Soldier Serum). And because of this, it doesn't take a lot of work for people to be interested in his death.

The reappearance of the Barry Allen Flash? Nothing against the Flash, and no downplaying his importance within the DC universe, but as far as I can tell his influence didn't really extend far beyond the comic world. Superfriends ensured that people know who he is, but I'm not sure that most people know that there have been four (there have only been four, right?) different Flashes. (Actually, I lie. I'm pretty sure that most people don't know that.) It requires more thought (and maybe actual research!) to understand why it's important ("What, the Flash is back from the dead after twenty years? I know for a fact that my cousin was reading his comic book three years ago!")

In any case, while it's very cool to see comics mentioned outside of the comic-specific media, any mainstream coverage of most comic-related material is going to be unsatisfactory to fans. That's all right. Well, maybe it'd be nice if someone out there picked up on the notion of spoilers. :)